The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of combination of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with that of RFA alone in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). All possible trials comparing RFA plus TACE with RFA alone for HCC were included into this meta-analysis. We estimated the summary odds ratio (OR) with its 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) to assess the effects. Nineteen eligible studies matched the selection criteria, including 1,728 patients. Meta-analysis showed that the combination of TACE and RFA (OR1 year = 2.14, 95 % CI = 1.57-2.91, P